Russells Construction is underway with a £3million improvement project for OBI at St James’s Tower in Manchester’s Charlotte Street.
The team has stripped out the ground and first floors of the 14-storey building and created a new two storey extension along the length of the Charlotte Street elevation. Maintaining access for occupants of the upper floors and mitigating the impact of the works for the building’s users has been key.
The project is due for completion in early 2020 and is the team’s second scheme for OBI, following Russells’ completion of The Core in Brown Street in 2018.
A Manchester-based commercial real estate consultancy, OBI this week announced it has pre-let 26,359 sq ft of St James’s Tower to global workspace provide Regus.
Regus has signed a deal to take half of the newly extended ground floor, all of the new first floor and the existing fourth and fifth floors.
The letting follows the commitment by existing occupiers Fletcher’s Solicitors and Pimberly to take further space on the upper floors.
OBI, which has asset managed St James’s Tower since 2012, said the recent extension of the ground and first floor ‘podium’ levels has increased the overall floor area to 87,114 sq ft.
Will Lewis, co-founder of OBI, said: “The £3m investment in St James’s Tower is massively changing the external appearance while significantly improving internal spaces.
“Securing Regus is particularly pleasing, given that this deal has been done before works have been completed. Regus offers the flexibility and amenity that the modern-day occupier is seeking and is a great addition to the building.”
Richard Morris, UK CEO of Regus, said: “We’re delighted to have signed this deal as St James’s Tower is located in a very prominent location in the heart of Manchester city centre.”
Gareth Russell, director of Russells Construction, added: “Client satisfaction is our most important measure, so it says everything when we’re invited to tender for future work by previous clients, and so we are pleased to be working with OBI once again.
OBI confirmed there is 5,000 sq ft of new ground floor retail / leisure space which can be subdivided for a range of uses, and just 2,979 sq ft of refurbished office space remaining on the 7th floor of St James’s Tower.
Metis and Savills are leasing agents on the ground floor vacant space. CBRE represented IWG.
For more about St James’s Tower, or to contact OBI, click here.
